Nayara Springs

My husband and I stayed 3 nights at Nayara Springs and our daughter's family of 4 stayed at Nayara Tented Camps. Our experience was 5 star from the minute we entered the property. (If we could give it more stars we would !!) The reception area was welcoming and we were greeted like family. Noelia introduced herself and gave us an overview of the property and showed us to our room. She was our go-to person for setting up dinner reservations, setting up excursions and going out of her way to set up a family evening frog tour! In a very short time, she became a friend and we hope to see her again. There was nothing we asked of anyone on-site that was too difficult, everyone was so accommodating and genuinely wanted their guests to have a wonderful time. The breakfasts that we had at Mis Amore were outstanding and the evening meals that we enjoyed throughout the resort were delicious and varied. A special memory is the thermal pools with the grandchildren and exploring the resort by golf cart with the employees. When we mentioned we had not seen a toucan, they radioed other employees to see if they had seen a toucan, and off we went to explore. The sites, the sounds, the employees are all top notch. We would love to return and stay longer as it was that special. Nayara, do not change a thing, your staff is over the top exceptional, your facility is beautiful and the food delicious. Until next time!

The Nayara Springs grounds were amazing. It really felt like we were staying in the rainforest. Everywhere you looked were gorgeous plants! All the staff were very friendly. Jessica greeted us upon arrival and always had a smile and a pleasant converstion any time we went to reception. Luis at the Celito Lindo swim up pool bar at Mis Amor was so nice. We spoke to him over several days. He even offered us a sample of a local drink our first day (Guaro sour with a tropical twist) that immediately became my favortie drink the rest of my time in Costa Rica. Thanks for introduing it to me, Luis! (A different) Luis at the swing bar by the thermal springs was also very nice. He took a few minutes when he had coverage to walk us to where a mother and her baby sloth hung out. He pointed her out almost immediately! We were so appreciative. Please don't hestiate to ask any staff member on your walks if they have spotted any sloths. Everyone was willing to help us find them. Additionally, every morning we met another friendly staff member who delived our delicious breakfast to our villa. Our only negative comment is that sound really traveled around the resort. Understandably, the staff would talk to one another or speak into their radios (sometimes very early in the morning) and it felt very loud in the villa. No one meant any harm, nor were they being rude. Just don't expect it to be very quiet.

The perfect resort to enjoy La Fortuna! Beautifully landscaped; restaurants with views, superb service and delicious cuisine; very spacious and romantic villas; all staff are friendly and do their jobs at top notch levels; tours were superb. Loved every minute here. We will return!

I don’t often write reviews, but in this case I felt compelled to share our truly amazing experience at Nayara Springs . I Am writing this as we head back to the airport and I am reflecting on what a fantastic 6 days we just spent at Nayara Springs. I have traveled to many places in this world and stayed at many luxury resorts and the Nayara resorts is definitely one of the best we have ever stayed at. From the accommodations, to the food to the wildlife, the resort had it all. However, what really stood out was the people and the amazing staff at Nayara Costa Rica. Every single person we encountered was kind, friendly and extremely helpful including resort staff and the tour guides from outside companies. And there was only one word we didn’t hear for the entire trip - and it was no. The resort catered to our every need! Every request, every question was met with a positive response and truly gracious person on the other side. Also, I feel compelled to call out a few people who stood out. First was Noelia at the front desk who met us upon arrival and was extremely helpful throughout our stay. Next was Raquel, our server at the Asian restaurant in the resort. She was such a joy to deal with and made us feel like we were old friends. And finally was Norman, our driver to and from the airport. A true professional and amazing person. I can’t say enough positive things about our stay. So I will just say again - THANK YOU for a wonderful week.

My wife and I just returned from six nights (early April) at Nayara Springs and we had an excellent time! The lush rain forest grounds, the separate villa, and adults-only made this an easy decision. The property seemed very spacious to us, making us feel like we were two of very few people on the entire property (we weren't). We don't recall ever having to squeeze by a housekeeping cart anywhere, which helped make our visit seem a lot like it was just us - and a few others - and the rain forest critters (although golf carts are zipping all over the place, at least half of which are carrying guests). You will find children at the other two resorts, but neither was crazy with kids. Yes, the whole place is built on a hill, and going between any two points involves negotiating hills, sometimes steep hills. We never found any of the pathways slippery after a rain, even though they looked slippery. Of the three resorts on the property, Tented Camp is at the top and Springs at the bottom, and exploring all the pathways was good exercise and a great way to discover wildlife and plants. From a Springs villa to Tented Camp's Ayla restaurant is a decent uphill walk. But we were always asked if we wanted a golf cart with driver for transport and we never used one once (except arrival and departure with our heavy luggage). We looked forward to an excellent meal and dessert and then walking off some of those calories! Check the daily complimentary activities schedule often - it can change. We're pretty sure we missed a day trip into La Fortuna because we didn't check the schedule everyday (there was one on a sign in Mi Cafecito). You don't really need to bring an umbrella as they're everywhere supplied by the resort. Just grab one and drop it off at your next stop, then grab another one. I do recommend bringing a good flashlight and binoculars. There was a small cheapy flashlight in the villa and you can borrow binos, but if you have your own bring them. Finding frogs at night will be easier and you're always looking up for wildlife, so a pair of binoculars would be great to have, especially after you find something (we found out at check-out that the resort can loan you a pair). Our villa was extremely comfortable and private. The outdoor shower was a big hit, as was the netting around the bed. The pool is jetted and if it cools down too much because of rain, a call to reception and someone does something to make it hot-tub hot again in less than two hours; we'd call before dinner and then hit the pool after dark. Not sure how I missed it, but I had no idea daily breakfast was included. A nice surprise! At Mis Amores, breakfast is off a menu with about a dozen options. Bread/pastry basket and fruit plate always served first. French press coffee pot at the table with options for fancier morning coffee and drinks (extra $). We found you can mix and match items, too, like having the french toast "with a side of bacon and eggs." Not a buffet but pretty sure you could have more of anything. Do breakfast in your villa at least once. Pretty nice! My wife is sort-of vegan and is most finicky in how her food is prepared. I informed the resort prior to our arrival and every restaurant on the property already had her detailed dietary requirements and made sure she was well taken care of. We were basically told to let the server know what she wanted and they'd make it happen (no oil, no butter, no fried food, etc.). Every meal was excellent! Happy hour was a little stange: it's literally one hour long, only at the pool bars, and the one time we did it (at Tented Camp before dinner) the deal was two of the exact same drink for the price of one. That doesn't work for my wife and I, but it might work for most guests. We saw sloth, iguana, monkeys, toucan, and plenty of other birds and reptiles all on the property. There're all there, just keep looking. Be prepared for a sore neck from looking up! Bugs: they're loud, noisy, constant, and everywhere but you basically never ever see them. Big rainforest cicada kinda insects that we saw one of maybe twice in six days. I think I saw one mosquito. We both used a few Off bug wipes during our stay and I returned home with zero bites and my wife with about ten bites, which is amazing for her. Don't worry about bugs. The fitness center has everything you should need - treadmills, ellipticals, a couple bikes, dumbells, kettle balls, a few machines, and a free weight bench press. We were in it daily by 5:30am and usually the only ones there. We passed on the yoga and other fitness instructional programs. Springs has the only fitness center. We did three half-day tours (Hanging Bridges, Lava Fields, and the Safari Penas raft trip) arranged though the resort and all three went like clockwork with excellent guides (they have laws here about guides). They were all private and we would do all three again. As far as costs, we ate all of our dinners at one of the resort's restaurants, light lunches at either Mis Amores (gallo pinto - if you don't know you will) or a Mi Cafecito empanada, had a beer per day and maybe three cocktails the entire visit, daily latte, smoothies, and treats at Mi Cafecito, and averaged about $150 per day. If you really like cocktails plan on $200+ per day on food and beverages if you pretty much stick around the resort, like we did. We did a little extra tipping here and there, but it's already added to your meal checks. Of course no place like this is worth anything without the people and staff who take care of us, so here we go: Merlyn at reception was fabulous! She made sure everthing was ok and that we knew our schedule for that day whenever we saw her. And Fernando at reception (he would let us practice our limited Spanish and Costa Rica vibe for as long as we liked). Sergio, Cesar, and Jessy (remembered our names) at the quiet pool/Amor Loco were great. Juan, Carlos (turned us onto Lizano Salsa), and Ana Marie (?) were amazing at Mis Amores (everyone at Mis Amores, and the view of Arenal, is great). Nahomi, Diana, and Adrianna at Mi Cafecito made it a joy stop by for my wife's morning latte and our afternoon smoothies (and all three could teach Spanish). Meriela (we hope she got her brand new telescope she was expecting) was a very enthusiastic and knowledgable guide on a rainy morning nature walk, and Raquel was great assisting with the menu at Asia Luna (and gelato). Danny and Diego were safe and friendly drivers for the trip to and from Guanacaste. And finally that grounds keeper at Termas hot springs (we tried but didn't get his name before he disappeared... little guy, no English, always with a big smile) who pointed out a sloth with a baby high above the pools. There were plenty others who we missed getting their names. We thank them all, and of course... Pura Vida!